Blue Moon
by Razril
Summary: Haruka is a humble dragon tamer with a secret she couldn't tell. Michiru is an earthy princess suddenly engaged to a man who bears a secret of his own.
1. Chapter 1

I'm not a fanfic writer...but let me try this time. :)

This is a Haruka/Michiru fic. It's shoujo-ai. And hmmm...I don't own SailorMoon.

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**BLUE MOON **

Haruka fell to the sandy ground and spit out blood that formed around her mouth after the ferocious dragon launched at her with yet another attack. She had retaliated by delivering a wide slash around its body, but it wasn't deep enough to be fatal. By the time she looked back up, the dragon was already out of her sight, hiding from the thick sandstorm that covered them, ready to attack at any minute, from any direction. She carefully turned around, squinting her eyes and searching for any hint of movement, gripping her dulled sword tighter with her right hand.

It was a cheap sword, which was all she can afford. After a long journey to search for the dragon and slaying wild beasts that stood in the way, the worn-out sword looked barely useable. It was a dark shade of red---from the dried-out blood of all the creatures she has slain. The hilt was already loose, and it felt like it could unattach itself from the blade at any minute. Still, it was the only sword she had. It was a sword that she has saved up for with her meager income of raising white dragons.

She had to kill this dragon. She just had to. This was the dragon that has been terrorizing the capital for months. A fierce, untameable, red dragon that has killed dozens---no, hundreds of innocent lives. The dragon was fierce, that even the nation's army cower at its sheer strength. So fierce, in fact, that the king has offered a bounty of 50,000 gold coins and any wish granted for whoever can slay it.

And she needed that money. Her family, or what's left of it---her sickly mother and her little sister Hotaru, can barely survive off Haruka's small income. Ever since her father died, Haruka was all they could depend on. She worked on the dragon stables, which was a man's job---a job women were forbidden to do. So she wore men's clothes, successfully passing off as a man. She had no choice, taming white dragons was the only thing she knew how to do and was good at. With a reward of 50,000 gold coins, it will be enough for her and her family to live a comfortable life forever. She can have any wish granted. She would finally be able to take her mother to the hospital, and even after she gets healed she would never have to work again. Little Hotaru can have a great childhood. And Haruka can finally make her father proud.

Hundreds of men gathered arms and pursued the red dragon with similar aspirations. But after seven days and miles upon miles of nonstop chasing, only Haruka, with her flimsy, rusty sword, was left. She was tired. She can barely stand---she barely ate during the past few days, but she knew she had to keep going. The dragon was already wounded. It wouldn't be long before she finally comes home the victor.

She gained more and more visibility around her as the dust started to settle. She cautiously walked forward, looking left and right, wary and alert. After a few more seconds, she found the dragon, lying on the ground, unable to move from the wound Haruka inflicted earlier. With one final burst of energy, Haruka stabbed at the dragon's heart. An almost deafening cry of pain could be heard as the once ferocious dragon finally breathed its last breath. But almost in the blink of an eye, Haruka could swear she saw another man right beside the dragon. But she was so exhausted, she wasn't even sure if it was just a dream or not...

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"Kaioh-sama, your father wanted me to inform you that he is already waiting at the throne room."

An aqua-haired young woman turned around and acknowledged the guard standing by her bedroom door.

"Okay, I am coming there soon, Hiro." With that, the guard bowed and left.

The young lady in the huge, aristocratic room took one last look in the mirror. She was wearing a long, flowing velvet dress, accented with a simple gold bracelet and a necklace with a small ring hanging from it. Even without make-up or maids to help her get ready, she looked as perfect as can be.

Today was a joyous occasion. Word has spread that the white dragon that has killed hundreds of her people has finally been slain by just a single man. This man, in a few moments, was about to have an audience with the king and his only daughter where he will be presented with his reward. Princess Michiru Kaioh was all dressed and ready to formally thank the man who has singlehandedly saved her country.

Her father was already there when she arrived at the throne room. With her mother long gone, she, as the only child, is the one who seats next to her father in formal engagements such as this. As she got comfortable in her seat, her father looked into her direction and gave a subtle smile to acknowledge her presence.

The throne room in the palace of Neptune took pride in being simple yet elegant. Unlike throne rooms in other planets, gold and other sparkling decorations were kept to a minimum, and yet, it still delivered the same sense of might and grandeur. The Kaiohs always believed in humility and simplicity---two traits that almost sound as if it were in stark contrast with the fact that they were of royalty. But they both knew that being of royalty was a job, not a lifestyle. King Akihito Kaioh only wears his crown in the throne room or only when it was absolutely needed, and the same goes for his daughter and her tiara. Both of them knew that their main job is to serve their country, and not to just idly live a life of luxury.

When everything was ready, the king gave a slight nod to the guards, who proceeded to the doors opposite them. These two huge doors that reached all the way up to the throne room's ceiling started to open. Because it was so big, it took time and quite a bit of manpower to move. This room is, after all, the most important part of the castle. When it was finally fully opened, it revealed a tall man with a slightly muscular physique, with a big tattered leather bag slung on his right shoulder. He was wearing rider's boots---the telltale sign of a dragon-tamer, and a silver chain mail covering his white, sandy shirt. His sword hung loosely on his waist.

Behind him, a few feet away, was someone that was probably his servant. He was of a lean build but smaller than that of the man before him, with short tousled hair dirtied with countless grains of sand. He was also wearing rider's boots, but his were dirty and worn-out---the kind that most other people would have already thrown away. He looked tired and hungry, and was trying his best, but ultimately failing, to stand up straight.

As they both went inside, the King and the princess stood up to welcome them. They stopped a few feet away from the King, maintaining a distance of respect, and kneeled. The King motioned for them to stand up again, and with a strong, low voice that echoed throughout the room, the King finally spoke.

"What is your name, oh valiant one?"

The man, with a very serious face, looked straight into the King's eyes and replied.

"I am Ryunosuke Akutagawa of Kiyobashi."

His dark hair was covering part of his eyes, yet his sense of confidence cannot be mistaken. But he dared not make any unnecessary movements, like brushing away the hair in his eyes, in front of royalty. Instead, he lifted his palm to the direction of the man behind him.

"This is my servant, Haruka Tenoh. He has helped me on my journey here." The blonde gave a small bow, making sure to avoid eye contact. Although the King of Neptune didn't mind either way, it was common courtesy in all the planets for servants not to make eye contact with their masters.

Without so much as a pause, he took out the bag slung from his shoulder and dropped it on the space between he and the king.

"I offer you the head of the ferocious red dragon who has killed hundreds of our countrymen's lives."

The king gave a hearty laugh opposite the very serious face before him and nodded in awe at the sight. Yes, the dragon is really dead, and his head is right at his feet. His people can now sleep in peace, and he will not have to worry anymore about this once untameable beast.

"As promised, I will have my men deliver fifty thousand gold coins to your house right away."

Ryuunosuke gave a slight bow to acknowledge the King's kindness.

"Pardon my straightforwardness, King Kaioh, but I believe you have promised another reward on top of the fifty thousand gold coins."

"Ahhh yes. I almost forgot." The King nodded. "I have also promised that anyone who slays the dragon will have anything their heart desires. Now tell me boy, what is it you want for a reward?"

With this, Ryunosuke kneels down, but continues to look up at the King's eyes.

"My King, there is no other greater desire in my heart than to marry your lovely daughter."

The King was visibly shocked. All the guards and servants around the throne room were also quite shocked, partly because of the dragon slayer's audacious request, and partly because they have never seen the King with that kind of honestly stunned expression on his face.

The King gave a deep and audible sigh, as if to calm himself down, and took a few steps back to sit on his throne. This kind of request was not something to take lightly of, and this was not something he could decide on so easily and so suddenly. He had always assumed that the slayer of the dragon would ask for something material or something that would give him a high honor, like maybe a gold-encrusted sword from the King's private collection, or maybe even a high-ranking position at his dragon cavalry unit. He was prepared to give the slayer rewards like those, but he clearly never expected this. He never even expected anything remotely close to what this man is asking right now. This man kneeling before him is asking him not only to give up his daughter and devote her life to him, but he is also effectively asking, as the future Queen's husband, to be next in line for the throne. King Akihito Kaioh sighed again, and in his mind scolded himself for not thinking things through when he offered this kind of reward. He was so desperate to get rid of the dragon, he thought he could pay any price for it. He never thought that his beloved daughter would be part of the bargain.

Princess Michiru, with eyes still wide open, was even more stunned than his father, if that was possible. As a princess, she was taught to maintain as much composure as she could despite any circumstance, but right now, no matter how much she tried to keep her emotions in, her startled eyes easily gave her away. Marriage?! She knew it was unavoidable for princesses such as her, but she never thought it would come so soon. She simply wasn't ready for this! And with a man he knows nothing of!

In the midst of all these thoughts, Ryunosuke, still kneeling, spoke again.

"With all due respect, King Kaioh, your daughter is at a marriageable age, and I believe I have proved to you, and to this country, my power and my valiance in killing the dragon that even your whole army could not slay."

Still seated, King Kaioh nodded in defeat. He knows, that as royalty, he could not back down on his promise, but he also knows, more as a father than as a King, that he cannot compomise his daughter's well-being.

"Ryunosuke Akutagawa, as you know, a decision as important as this is not something for me to decide alone. This decision will affect not just my daughter, but everyone in this country, and you know full well that I cannot take this matter lightly. Therefore I ask you to give my daughter time to make a decision. I am giving you six months to prove yourself worthy of her and this country. During that period, I will consider you engaged. If after six months, my daughter deems you worthy, you will be married and become his prince. But, if after six months, you do not prove yourself to be worthy, I will not hesitate to cancel the engagement."

"May I ask, King Kaioh, how I can prove myself worthy enough of your daughter?"

"You shall live in this palace for six months. I am giving you and my daughter time to get to know each other. I trust her judgement."

In just the seconds he was given, King Kaioh thought of this as the only sensible solution. There is a lot on the line in this decision, a lot more that Ryunosuke has probably even had the time to think of. He couldn't flat out refuse his request. As King, he needs to set an example to the people of his country that he is a man of his word. On top of that, if word spreads that he is a person who cannot fulfill his own promises, he will lose the trust and the confidence of his allied countries. But at the same time, he cannot just make a snap decision when in comes to the future of his only daughter. A marriage is for life, and he wants his daughter to get to know this man. Surely, he is a brave enough warrior to be King, and he also seems very respectable...but what about his character? What kind of a person is he? What is his background? Is he wise enough to be an heir to the throne? There are still a lot of unanswered questions that he will leave for Michiru to discover.

Michiru, on the other hand, just nodded. She, quite surprisingly, found herself agreeing with her father's resolution. She was a realistic enough young lady. Although she never really wanted to marry so soon, she knows that as royalty, much like her father, she does not have the luxury to marry for love. She does, however, have the right to find out if this person suitable enough to be the future King---for the sake of her people. Love is just a luxury, a selfish emotion, that people of royalty just have to do without. Princesses have to marry the man most suited to rule the country, even if he is not the man they love.

"If that is what it takes, Princess Michiru, then I will gladly accept your father's offer. I am confident I can prove myself worthy of your company."

With both parties accepting the agreement, the meeting ended, just like that. In an instant, Michiru's life took a 360-degree turn. Maids started preparing the guest room nearest her's, announcements were made to the maids, the citizens of the country, and to allied kingdoms informing everyone of their recent engagement. Citizens of the kingdom lauded and cheered the decision---for them, there was no better man for the princess than the valiant warrior who can singlehandedly kill an untameable dragon. Maids of the palace started gossiping and children started playing warriors and dragons. Ryunosuke was a local hero.

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**Author's Notes:**

-This is my very first fanfic…ever. So I would love to hear what you think, especially if you think I should continue with this or not. I don't mind bluntness. If it sucks, just tell me. I already have a pretty good outline of the story to continue this, but if people think it's crap, I wouldn't bother.

- Please do not kill me for borrowing names from real Japanese personalities. (if you don't recognize them, then good. :P) I'm sorry but I suck at making up names...

- I use "he" for Haruka because at this point in the story Michiru doesn't know yet that she's a girl. :P Don't worry, when the right time comes, i'll change it to "she".


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

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It was early in the morning, and Michiru was already up and about in the south wing's palace kitchen, preparing breakfast for herself. Her father wakes up even earlier than she does, and is already outside attending to so many things around the castle. He is much busier than usual, preparing for an upcoming visit to a neighboring country in a few days.

Cooking breakfast was a regular activity for Michiru. She likes cooking, and makes it a point to at least cook her own breakfast everyday. The cooks, already used to this, free the kitchen every morning when she wakes up.

Today was no different. Already groomed and dressed for the day, she put on an apron and reached for the pan to cook some eggs. That was when she heard the kitchen door suddenly open, with a blonde-haired man coming in, not noticing her nor paying attention to anything else but the heavy-looking sack he was carrying on his shoulder. He lumbered around the massive kitchen, each step slower than the last. He looked extremely tired.

Michiru couldn't help but stare. While she has never really told anyone not to, no one usually comes in and disturbs her like this when she's cooking her breakfast. Everybody knows it was her own, small time for herself.

But as this blonde-haired man slowly walked towards her direction, she recognized him and suddenly understood. This was Ryunosuke's servant. They have only been staying in the castle for two days, and are still probably not yet accustomed to the ways of this castle.

Memory was one of Michiru's strong points, so she could still remember his name: Haruka. Haruka Tenoh. She remembered how he humbly stood beside Ryunosuke in the throne room, how he avoided making eye contact with neither her nor her father, and how hurt he looked, for some reason, at that time. Was he just tired? That, Michiru couldn't answer, but she was curious to find out. Why she was so curious, she doesn't even know. She has never seen any other servant with such a downcast look on his face. Somehow, it made her feel heavy-hearted as well.

She tried not to stare as Haruka continued making her way towards her, the sack of rice visibly taking its toll on the young man's slim build. His hair was covering most of his eyes, never making the effort to brush them away with his free hand.

After a few seconds, Haruka looked up. His hair still on his eyes, but from the limited vision he had, he finally noticed the young woman cooking in front of her. He realized he needed to pass by her to get to the storage area on the other side. While this particular area wasn't narrow at all, it wasn't all that wide either. And with Haruka carrying such a huge sack, he wouldn't be able to pass without this woman giving way for him.

"Excuse me ma'am." He managed to mutter.

This made Michiru slightly surprised. From his demeanor, she wasn't expecting him to talk at all. But that doesn't mean she wasn't pleased. This was the first time she has established any sort of communication with the new servant.

She moved aside to let the young man pass. As he did, and with the few seconds they were in extreme close proximity, she took a closer look at him.

He had intense, deep blue eyes. Oddly enough, he was wearing a silver necklace, with a pendant that looked like some sort of locket. Also odd, was the fact that he looked so clean shaven despite his haggard overall appearance.

Haruka carefully put down the sack in the storage area and positioned it in line with the other sacks of rice. He counted all the sacks with his eyes: there were twenty in total now, which means he was done with his job. He can finally rest for a while before moving on to other chores for the day.

"Is it heavy?"

Haruka turned around to where the voice originated. Of course, there was only one other person in the whole kitchen. This was the first time he actually got a good look at her. The first thing he noticed was her long, wavy aqua hair resting freely on her shoulders. Her lips were curved to form a slight smile, and her head was tilted all so slightly to one side, waiting for an answer. She looked very charming.

He scratched the back of his blonde hair and gave a small, shy smile. He has never talked to such a beautiful woman before.

"It wasn't at the start, but it gets heavy after the tenth sack." He answered honestly.

Tenth? Michiru didn't realize he had been going back and forth, carrying so many sacks so early in the morning. But then she also realized one other thing. Haruka was still wearing rider's boots. He tames dragons for a living.

"Why is a dragon tamer like you doing kitchen work?" She asks again, genuinely curious.

"Well...I overheard Hiro tasking the kitchen maids to do it, but I couldn't stand seeing such small women doing such heavy lifting, so I volunteered instead."

Michiru was taken aback by the answer. On one hand, she was visibly impressed by the act of kindness by this young man standing before her. On the other, she was taking a mental note reminding herself to personally talk to Hiro later.

Michiru casually leaned on the counter and folded her arms. Not very "princess-like" at all, but Michiru was never really a normal princess.

Haruka misinterpreted this as a gesture of annoyance. Did she answer wrong?

"I'm sorry m'am...I know this isn't my job...but..."

"But nothing." Michiru cut her off, but her smile and the playful tone of her voice told Haruka that she wasn't mad at all. "Go sit over there," the princess gestured towards the nearest table with her eyes, while Haruka followed gaze, "let's eat breakfast together. I'm cooking."

"But ma'am, I can't just..."

"Yes you can." Michiru was enjoying this, though she didn't exactly know why. "Don't worry, I'm not a terrible cook."

She saw Haruka take one glance at the stove before she took her seat at one side of the table. Michiru turned around and found out what Haruka was looking at. Her eggs were burnt. She blushed and mentally laughed at herself. How ironic that she just told Haruka about her terrific cooking skills a second ago...

A few minutes later, Michiru was already serving breakfast for both her and the servant. Haruka tried to get up and help her set the table but the princess declined. Everything in this moment felt very unreal for him. The princess of this country, the daughter of the highly respected King Kaioh is serving him breakfast while he idly waits in his seat. How would the king react if he knew about this? Did Princess Kaioh do this for all the other new servants too?

Haruka didn't know what to think of it. He can't let himself get too relaxed. Maybe this could be a prank, or a test. You never know.

"Are you always this tense?"

Michiru asked. She was already sitting across him, taking a bite of her breakfast. It wasn't bad at all. The second batch of eggs she cooked were perfect.

Haruka, however, was caught staring at some random spot on the table, caught in his thoughts. He snapped back to reality at the sound of the princess' voice.

"Your majesty, I could have just eaten breakfast at the dragon stables..." he said, feeling so unworthy of the princess' home-cooked breakfast.

"Whaaaat? You'd rather eat dragon feed than my food?" she said jokingly, trying so hard to lighten him up, "I tossed out those burnt eggs, you know."

"But m'am, I do not deserve such an honor."

Michiru again remembered why she hated so much her princess status. No one can be comfortable with her. She couldn't make friends who aren't members of royalty. Everyone walks on tiptoes around her, afraid to make mistakes, always trying to say the perfect things and do the perfect job. And now this well-mannered new servant finds it too tense to eat a simple breakfast with her that he would rather eat with the dragons than spend a few minutes with her.

"This isn't an honor. This is just breakfast. Now come on, let's eat!" she replied, smiling.

Haruka knew this conversation wasn't getting them anywhere. He was really hungry, anyway, and the thought of spending time with the princess generally appealed to him.

"Thank you for the breakfast then, your majesty. You are very kind."

Michiru saw the dragon tamer smile ever so slightly as he said those words. Her heart skipped a beat knowing that is was her that gave a smile to his face. She hoped she wasn't blushing, but she couldn't really tell.

Haruka finally gave in and ate. He couldn't resist the princess' honest smile. He suddenly just knew, for some reason that escapes his logic right now, that this was a sincere invitation. He started to loosen up. For every bite he took, he ingrained in his head that this was the Princess Michiru's cooking. He quite possibly might never get another chance to eat her cooking again. No matter what the princess said, this was an honor.

"How do you like it in this castle so far?" Michiru asked as they ate.

"Everyone has been very kind, your majesty. The housemaids have been so helpful in helping me adjust to my new life here."

_Maybe it's because you look very handsome? _...was what Michiru wanted to say.

"You're not just saying that because I'm the princess, are you?" she joked instead.

"Oh, no ma'am! I'm really very surprised at how easy it has been for me to adjust here. I'm not just saying that."

"Well that's good. If you have any problems, you can just tell it directly to me, okay? I'm always around the castle anyway."

"I'm not sure if I'll ever have the courage to do that, your majesty, but I greatly appreciate the kind offer."

There was this sort of inherent truthfulness in this dragon tamer's every word that made Michiru trust everything he said. She wanted to ask more. About him, his family, how he started as a dragon tamer...everything. But she didn't want to scare him away. More importantly, she didn't want to seem too intruding and too pushy about his past. Instead, she decided to ask about her future husband. It was a subject she was also very curious about.

"...so how long have you known Ryuunosuke?" she asked.

"I am a new servant of his, actually. I have only been working for him a few days before...before he slayed the dragon." Haruka answered with a sudden low voice.

The conversation suddenly went downhill from there. Haruka became inhibited again, barely answering the princess' questions. He knew Michiru was honestly interested in knowing what kind of person Ryuunosuke is, but Haruka just couldn't answer. He didn't know how to.

Michiru also sensed the tenseness in Haruka's voice. She didn't know why he suddenly went back to his shy and reluctant self.

_Did he feel jealous? That I was asking about him?_

Michiru erased that thought as soon as it entered her mind. How arrogant and presumptuous of her to think such things! She didn't even know where that came from.

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She didn't see Haruka again that day. She took a quick glance at the dragon stables as she was walking around the palace with Ryunosuke that afternoon, but the dragon tamer wasn't there.

She also realized that day that Ryunosuke was a very mellow and respectful man. He wasn't the type who likes to joke around much, but he certainly was bold and courageous. During their walk together, Ryunosuke talked about his past, his numerous journeys, the terrible creatures he had slain. With such experiences, this man was so fit to be the future king, and Michiru never denied that. In the very short time they have been together, she has learned to respect him and admire his achievements. With all the things he has done for the country, Michiru can't imagine why he wasn't more well known in the kingdom. There was one story in particular that Michiru will never forget. It was when they were walking around the southeastern gardens, right before a maid called Michiru to remind her of an appointment she had.

"What about your parents?" asked Michiru as they both continued to walk at a very slow pace, "they must be really proud of you!"

"I'm sure right now they are smiling as they look down on me from heaven." Ryunosuke gave a sad smile as he answered.

Michiru didn't know both his parents were already dead. She almost regretted touching on what she assumed was a very delicate subject, but she knew it had to be asked. He was, after all, her future husband.

"What happened to them, if I may ask?" she asked, not knowing how to word a better question.

"Of course you may." Ryunosuke gave a slight nod as he looked into her eyes. "Eleven years ago, when I was just ten years old, me and and my father took my mother to the northern country of Aquilo. You see, my mother was sick, and none of the medicine we tried had any effect on her. It was a mysterious and lethal illness, where everything we tried didn't work. One day, we heard about this doctor from Aquilo who apparently could heal all kinds of illnesses. So the three of us set off on a journey to the north. We helped my mother along, every step of the way. We rested every few hours because such a long journey was extremely painful for her."

Michiru noticed how Ryunosuke paused after that. She knew telling this story was painful to him as well. They must have been a very happy family before it all happened...

"But less than a hundred miles from Aquilo, an angry and untamed red dragon blocked our path and attacked us. And..."

At this point, both Ryunosuke and Michiru had come to a full stop.

"...my mother...she couldn't run fast enough."

Michiru could only imagine how horrible it must have felt to watch your own mother savagely attacked by an unrelenting beast. No one deserves such a terrifying experience...

"My father...with all the rage he had of seeing his own wife suffering, was able to singlehandedly slay the dragon. But...not long after, he also died from all the wounds he attained."

Michiru looked at him with such sympathetic eyes to somehow tell him that everything will be alright. She could finally understand how Ryunosuke was able to slay such a ferocious dragon. He wanted to avenge his family. It may not have been the same red dragon that slayed his parents, but it brought back the same feelings he had that day eleven years ago.

"Yes...I'm sure your parents are so proud of you."

was all Michiru could say as she held his hand.

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A/N:

- Too short? Sorry. I just felt like the chapter should end there. Sorry for the late update. Not only do I barely write...but when I actually do, I end up editing and re-editing a million times. XD Kill me for not updating regularly.

- Yep, so I'm continuing with this. You might be in for a long ride. I've never written a fic before, so I've never realized how long and winding I write. lol. :D I couldn't help it. XD I felt like every part was important (maybe not right now, but you'll see) and I couldn't cut it. Anyway, I'll try to fasten the pace up next time. Thank you all very much for the reviews. It means a lot to me...really. Every new review that comes in my inbox serves as another reminder for me to start working on the next chapter. XD And Tagor, thanks for letting me know about enabling anonymous reviews! I had no idea...I'm such a newbie at this... :D

- Why dragons? No real reason, really. XD The thought just came up while I was translating this manga that had dragons (and dragon tamers) in it. :D


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